Yuko Shimizu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Yuko Shimizu
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Shimizu at Japan Expo 2010
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| Born | November 1, 1946 Kyoto, Japan
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Yuko Shimizu (清水 侑子, Shimizu Yūko, born 1 November 1946) is a Japanese designer. She is most famous for creating the beloved character, Hello Kitty.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Yuko Shimizu was born in Kyoto, Japan, on November 1, 1946. She loved art and went to Musashino Art University to study design. After finishing college, she joined a company called Sanrio.
Creating Iconic Characters
The Story of Hello Kitty
In 1974, Yuko Shimizu designed the very first version of Hello Kitty. It's a fun fact that Hello Kitty's made-up birthday is also November 1, just like Yuko Shimizu's! Hello Kitty quickly became Sanrio's most successful and well-known character around the world.
Shimizu got the idea for Hello Kitty's name from a black cat named 'Kitty' in the book Through the Looking-Glass. Hello Kitty was created to be a kawaii (which means cute in Japanese) symbol. This cute character was meant to be used on many different products. In 1975, Hello Kitty first appeared in Japan on a small coin purse.
Sanrio has explained that Hello Kitty doesn't have a mouth because she "speaks from the heart." They also say she is "Sanrio's ambassador to the world," meaning she can connect with people everywhere, no matter what language they speak.
Other Designs at Sanrio
Before Hello Kitty, Yuko Shimizu designed the first original character for Sanrio in 1973. This character was a bear named Coro Chan. She also designed cute fruit characters for Sanrio.
In 1974, the same year as Hello Kitty, Shimizu created other characters too. These included Bunny & Matty (バニー＆マッティ), who are a rabbit and some mice. She also designed Yachiyo Charmer (八千代チャーマー), a girl wearing a traditional Japanese kimono.
Life After Sanrio
Yuko Shimizu left Sanrio in 1976 because she got married. Since then, she has worked as a freelance designer. This means she works for herself and takes on different projects. Even though Hello Kitty became super famous, Shimizu didn't earn a lot of money from that one creation.
She has continued to create many other characters. Some of her other well-known characters include Angel Cat Sugar and Rebecca Bonbon. Yuko Shimizu has also written and illustrated several picture books for children.
External Links
- The Official Hello Kitty Website: http://www.sanrio.com/
- The Official Rebecca Bonbon Website: http://www.rebeccabonbon.com
- The Official Angel Cat Sugar Website: http://www.angelcatsugar.com/
See also
In Spanish: Yuko Shimizu para niños
